Remember
by wazlib88
Summary: This is a tale of three - of three people who are heroes, yes, but more importantly, of three people who are profoundly human. (For Ollivander's Challenge; trio-centric, canon pairings.)


A/N: This is my entry for the final round of Ollivander's Challenge by simplypotterheads on Tumblr! Twas an honor to compete in the final - even if I only barely made the deadline. I'm in my final year of college, and real life tends to be very busy. Anyway, the prompt was "A History of Magic" and I went trio-centric. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you for reading! :)

Disclaimer: Definitely not JKR, as ever. But I am old enough that I could order a drink with her in any country, so...basically she and I should be friends and have a long chat about Ron Weasley.

_Potter, Harry J.(1980 - ) Order of Merlin, First Class. Regarded by many as the savior of the Wizarding World, the Chosen One, or the Boy Who Lived, Mr. Potter is best known for his defeat of Tom Riddle, more commonly known as "the Dark Lord Voldemort" or "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named." Their first encounter came when Potter was but a year old. He became the only person known to have survived the Killing Curse, resulting in Riddle's exile for a period of thirteen years. Upon Riddle's return to power in 1995, Potter faced Riddle on several occasions while he was a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though the details of these encounters are not widely known to those who were not present, it is common knowledge that the two dueled for the last time at the Battle of Hogwarts on the 2nd of May, 1998, resulting in Riddle's ultimate demise. Potter has since risen to lead the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic, becoming the youngest to hold the position. Potter is married to noted former Holyhead Harpies player and current Daily Prophet correspondent Ginevra Potter (nee Weasley). The couple has three children. Potter is noted above all for his exceptional bravery in protecting the Wizarding World by doing what is right above what is easy._

"Harry, what on Earth are you doing cowering under the table?"

"Hiding from my girlfriend," Harry answered honestly, ignoring Hermione's frown as she crouched down to join him.

"She's not even-"

"I know she's not here," Harry interrupted. "But her things are, so…"

"This is completely ridiculous," Hermione informed him, rolling her eyes. "Regardless of whether you can see her things or not, you're still thinking about her."

"Actually, I was having a pleasant reflection on the level of carpentry skill it must have taken to make this table, before you came along."

Hermione just raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Okay, so it looks like a Hogwarts third year tried to magic it together without a wand," Harry remarked dryly. "What do you want, Hermione?"

"Ron sent _me_ down here to get food. He never wants me to get the food, because I always 'forget' the extra biscuits. That means that he knew you were down here and doesn't want to talk to you himself," Hermione explained. "And _that_ means that whatever it is, it's got to do with Ginny."

"Hermione, I'm a bit drunk," Harry began frankly, but she interrupted almost as soon as he'd started.

"There are two empty beers on the table; I'd be reluctant to call you tipsy. What's really going on?"

"Fine," Harry relented. "Do you remember how I found my mum's ring in my family vault a few months ago? I brought it here, y'know, for safe keeping. Ginny found it, and well, she thought…"

"Oh," Hermione said, wincing sympathetically. "But I thought you said you were getting ready to do it anyway."

"It's a bit complicated," Harry replied. "I'm an Auror now; you know what that means."

"Well, yes-"

"And you know why Ron decided to leave the department."

"Of course I do!" Hermione snapped, a bit defensively. "What's that got to do with-"

"How am I supposed to marry Ginny when I'm living like this?" Harry asked. "That's not fair, is it? But she's ready to quit Quidditch to stay at home and have kids; she said she'd work on contract for the _Prophet. _The Prophet, Hermione, how am I supposed to let her do that, to change her entire life, while I run around fighting these bastards who have made it their life's mission to make sure I don't go home?"

"She's a good writer," Hermione said evenly. "The best they'd have, probably."

"You're missing the point," Harry protested.

"No, _you're_ acting like you're seventeen again," Hermione retorted. "Honestly, Harry, Ginny's a grown woman. If she wanted to keep playing Quidditch, she would. Don't pretend like you'd have any power to stop her."

Harry managed half a smile. "S'pose that's true."

"And she knows that being an Auror is dangerous," Hermione continued. "She would never dream of asking you to leave if you didn't want to."

"I don't want to," Harry said quietly. "This is what I have to do."

"Then so be it. Ginny doesn't need you to protect her. Don't you think I'd have chosen to be with Ron regardless of whether or not he'd stayed with the Aurors?" Hermione pointed out. "And besides, everything's changed now. The risks have gone down, and you're not likely to be in a field position much longer anyhow with the promotions you've been getting."

"Well, yeah, but…" Harry broke off with a sigh. "I dunno."

"Yes, well, I'm going to sit here until you tell me," Hermione informed him, crossing her legs and arms impatiently.

"I hate telling people things," Harry muttered.

"You don't say," Hermione retorted, rolling her eyes. "You better hurry it along, though; Ron and I are hungry."

"You two become more alike every day, I swear," Harry remarked with a smirk. Hermione just looked at him pointedly. "Look, it's not that big of a deal. I just…it's scary, isn't it, asking somebody to marry you? Way worse than Voldemort or being an Auror or any of that stuff, because it's not just me anymore. It's her. It's _her_ life I'm asking her to spend with me."

Hermione looked at him for a long minute before responding. "Sometimes, Harry, I swear, you're so selfless, it's almost selfish."

"What-"

"You're so busy putting other people ahead of yourself that you just end up cutting them off," she explained. "Ginny loves you, no matter what. My advice to you is to let her. Sometimes, you have to take a leap of faith."

"If I ask her to marry me _now,_ however ready I am, she might just argue," Harry said dubiously.

"Good. You both need to talk about these things anyhow," Hermione insisted. "Arguments are great, constructive even, as long as you don't intentionally hurt the other person."

"Got some experience there, have we?" Harry teased.

"Speaking of Ron and me," Hermione agreed with a smirk, "I'm going to bring the food upstairs. But get out from under the table and have a proper think about it all, will you? You look a bit sad down here."

"Will do," Harry promised, grinning as Hermione patted his hand kindly before crawling out to prepare her dinner. It was a strange thing; his life was more complicated now than simply living or dying, as the two choices had been when he was a teenager. But as he thought of the possibility of a life with Ginny, he knew that he liked his options.

_Weasley, Ronald B. (1980 - )Order of Merlin, First Class. A well-known hero of the Second Wizarding War, Mr. Weasley is most often recognized as the best friend and confidante of Harry Potter. The two became fast friends in their first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and have been almost inseparable ever since. Weasley is known to have traveled with Potter at the height of Tom Riddle's power during the war, and Potter has credited Weasley with saving his life during their time on the run. While the details of Weasley's involvement with Potter's mission are unknown to the public, his actions in the time leading up to and during the Battle of Hogwarts were both courageous and critical to Riddle's demise. In the aftermath of the Battle, Weasley, though grieving the loss of one of his elder brothers, was a key figure in the rebuilding of Hogwarts and of the Auror Department at the Ministry of Magic. After working for the Ministry at Potter's side for several years, Weasley entered into business with one of his elder brothers, George, at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes. His strategic thinking has led the already popular business to new heights, and Wheezes are a staple in the homes of fun-loving witches and wizards of all ages. Weasley is married to Hermione Granger Weasley, and the couple has two children. Weasley is, above all, noted for his loyalty to Potter and to the improvement of the Wizarding World as a whole._

"Mate, I'm quitting."

Harry almost spit out his drink. "Excuse me?"

Ron shook his head sadly. "I've already talked it over with Hermione. I'm leaving the Aurors at the end of the month. I just gave Robards my notice."

"So you're taking George's offer?" Ron could see the disappointment on Harry's face, regardless of how hard his friend tried to hide it.

"I'm gonna be a partner in the Wheezes, but not an inventor. Y'know, not…a replacement for Fred," Ron mumbled, his ears burning. "We were clear on that. I'm going to be working more on the business side of things, the strategy and all that. Sort of like what I do here, but planning sales schemes for practical jokes instead of hex patterns to use against criminals in a raid. It's got a bit of everything I'm good at, and the pay's not bad, either."

"I…well, I don't know what to say. Congratulations, I guess," Harry said, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably.

"Look, I'm going to miss working with you," Ron said frankly. "It'll be weird, won't it, we've always taken the same classes in school and gone into the same office…but I…this is where you're meant to be. Not me."

"That's rubbish, you're just as good as I am," Harry argued, but Ron shook his head.

"I know I am," Ron said, grinning. "But being an Auror…I thought it was what I wanted to do, and maybe it was, when we were eighteen, but things change."

"It was right after the war," Harry acknowledged.

Ron nodded. "I…I think I felt like I had something to prove. I dunno what, or to whom…to myself, maybe. Just that I deserved all that attention I got, y'know, that I wasn't just along for the ride-"

"It's never been like that," Harry interrupted firmly.

"Look, you saw what came out of that bloody locket," Ron said, lowering his voice and glancing nervously around the pub. "Stuff like that doesn't just go away. I mean, some of it was obviously rubbish from Riddle, yeah, but…" he trailed off, gesturing vaguely and willing Harry to get the point. Thankfully, he nodded, a brief but clear sign of understanding.

"I want a life with Hermione," Ron continued, his cheeks flushing as he forced himself to look Harry in the eye. "I want to marry her and make a couple of bushy-haired little kids and then try not to mess up the part where we raise them. The thing is, mate, I can have that life."

"Of course you can," Harry agreed. "Hermione seems to like you well enough, not sure _why_ sometimes-"

Ron kicked him under the table, but he smirked as he asked: "Did you read Skeeter's article last week?"

"D'you mean, did I see my two best friends snogging on the cover of Witch Weekly?" Harry cringed. "At least she decided to let the two of you stay together this month, eh?"

Ron couldn't help but puff out his chest a bit. "Yeah, we can't really complain this time. Not my fault Hermione can't keep her hands off me in public."

"Or is it the other way around?"

"Mutual, I guess," Ron admitted, tapping his fingers restlessly before adapting a more serious tone. "The thing is that I used to think I had to earn it, y'know? Being with her. Being your mate. Having this..this life."

"You know that's-"

"Just let me say this, okay? I want to explain, 'cause leaving…well, it's just not the department I'm leaving, is it?"

"This isn't the same thing," Harry insisted quietly.

"I know, but I still…" Ron began to drum his fingers again, resting his gaze on the table. "It was like I had to fight for it. But I can't. I respect you more than I'll ever be able to tell you for taking this on, but this is what you're good at. You…you thrive on this stuff, on protecting people. But I go home every night, and I…I can't fight anymore, and I've finally realized that I don't have to. Doing this doesn't make me any more or less than what I am. Course, I'll be there in a second if you need me, rules be damned. You know that, but…" He was certain his face had never been redder as he trailed off yet again.

"'Course I know that," Harry said. "You and Hermione both. You've never let me forget it."

"There's no getting rid of us now, mate."

"For the record," Harry began cautiously, "you've never had to prove anything, but you did anyway. That sort of says it all, and it's about time you saw it that way."

Harry was blushing too now, and Ron coughed uncomfortably. "Hermione calls it confidence," he muttered. "I know you don't want to hear it, but I think it turns her on a bit, me making my own decisions and all."

"I don't want to know, but I guess it doesn't surprise me," Harry laughed. "Another pint, then?"

"Another pint," Ron agreed. "We're alright, then?"

"'Course. Always," Harry said sincerely, and with that the subject was dropped.

But Hermione's words still rang through Ron's mind, though he would never repeat them aloud to Harry - because some things were best left unsaid, or maybe because their actions spoke louder than their words. But these particular words had made Ron see what had been true all along. _"Just because you would follow Harry to the ends of the earth and back doesn't mean you have to every time. It's just the fact that you would that matters." _And he would. Always.

_Granger, Hermione J. (1979 - ) Order of Merlin, First Class. Commonly known as a heroine of the Second Wizarding War, Ms. Granger is known to be one of Harry Potter's best friends. She was close with both Mr. Potter and Mr. Ronald Weasley during their years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Though she was a very gifted student, she is perhaps better known for the year she spent away from her education, traveling with Potter and Weasley in the months leading up to the Battle of Hogwarts. Though the details of her involvement in the war are hazy at best, it is clear that she played an instrumental role in Tom Riddle's demise. In the years following the war, Granger joined the Ministry of Magic, transforming many outdated policies in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures before transferring to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, where she has experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks and has singlehandedly won some of the most controversial cases of the new millennium. Many say she could be a candidate for the next Ministry of Magic upon the retirement of Kingsley Shacklebolt, due to the respect she commands in the office and in the courtroom. She is married to Ronald Weasley, and is privately known by the Weasley surname. The couple has two children. While she is perhaps best known in the Ministry for her work to unite those of both magical and muggle blood, it is her title as the "brightest witch of her age" that will undoubtedly define her legacy._

"Ron, I'm home!" Hermione called as she kicked off her heels with a sigh of relief. She hated the things, but there was something that bothered her about having to look up to meet her taller colleagues' eyes, and even her impeccable cushion charms weren't enough to keep the blisters away.

"Hello, love." Ron appeared in the hallway, an apron tied about his waist. "Dinner's on the way," he said, kissing his wife soundly on the lips before she followed him into the kitchen. "How was your day?"

"My opposition in this case are a bunch of backward-thinking idiots, have I ever mentioned?" she asked, throwing herself into a chair with more force than was necessary. "Honestly, the way they talk about my client - as if we'd never passed the Lupin Act of '02! Werewolves have equal rights to employment, whether or not these buffoons are 'comfortable' with the idea. If they'd bother to pick up a book once in awhile, perhaps they'd understand that a Wolfsbane potion is a perfectly legitimate form of medication, and that bloody Fenrir Greybackdoes not set the precedent for _anything_. Greyback was a psychopath, just like Riddle. My client is a normal man trying to live a normal life."

"So you stuck it to them, did you?" Ron guessed, smiling proudly as he began to plate the chicken he'd cooked.

"Oh, they'll be paying several thousand in damages for my client's mistreatment," Hermione stated matter-of-factly. "The judge and jury saw right through them. But it's the principle, isn't it? The fact that there are _still_ people who think that way. It's utterly disgusting."

"Old habits die hard," Ron remarked wisely. "My family is made up of the least conservative purebloods there are, and it was still true for us in some regard."

"Well, yes, but you're _reasonable_ people," Hermione moaned. "These men would chase me out of the courtroom screaming 'mudblood' if they could."

"And that just goes to show how far they've got their heads up their arses," Ron declared, though Hermione knew from his twitching eyebrow that he was carefully keeping his anger in check.

"It's frustrating," Hermione said with a huff. "All this time, fifteen _years_ since the war, and this is still a topic of conversation. Sometimes I just wonder how much it will take to really change it all."

"It takes somebody like you," Ron declared, setting four plates around the table, the last in front of Hermione. "Shall I call the kids down?"

Hermione shook her head, biting her lip nervously. "Ron, I…I don't think I'm enough to change everybody's mind," she said quietly. "They all go on at the Ministry about how clever I am, how I'll find a way around all their bigotry and come up with these grand solutions, but…what if they're wrong?"

"Well, they are," Ron said, kneeling next to her and resting his hands on her shoulders. She slipped hers to his elbows, gripping him tightly. "But not about what you can do. They're wrong about how you'll do it."

Hermione managed to grin. "So how do you propose that I do it?"

"Hermione Granger might be the cleverest girl there ever was, or whatever it is they call you, but the Hermione I know is the most passionate woman on the planet," Ron replied fiercely. "You didn't get where you are because you read a lot of books or because you can solve the most riddles. You're successful because you care more deeply than anybody else in the Ministry. That's why I love you, and that's why I believe in you."

Hermione kissed him then, her appreciation to deep for words alone. "You're incredible," she murmured when they pulled away a few moments later.

"Oh, I wasn't finished," Ron explained innocently. "That passion of yours is also what's going to fuel our shagging tonight."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the blush spreading across her cheeks. "Rosie! Hugo! Dinner!" she called.

"Can we continue this conversation later?" Ron asked with a smirk.

"As long as my 'passion' is reciprocated," Hermione replied, even offering him a wink. They were still laughing when Rose and Hugo stumbled into the kitchen a moment later, surrounding Hermione with hugs and stories of their day at primary school. As she covered their children with kisses, Hermione knew that this, truly, was what defined her - that as a mother, as a wife, as a friend, as a daughter, and as an individual, she was determined to do the very best she could, and that was more than enough.

_THE GOLDEN TRIO RETURNS TO HOGWARTS: On the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts, Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, and Hermione Granger were spotted slipping away from the Remembrance Dinner in the Great Hall to share a quiet moment on the grounds, looking up at the school they helped save. What the heroes of the Wizarding World were discussing, this reporter can only guess, but if history is any indication, it must have been nothing short of extraordinary._

As they stood by the lake, gazing at the school that had always been so much more, Harry, Ron, and Hermione shared a contemplative silence. It seemed a lifetime ago that they had fought for their lives and their freedom on these grounds, and another lifetime before then that they were students, and yet, a simple look shared among the three of them said so much more than any of the countless articles written about them could begin to explain.

They were not the Golden Trio. They were three parts of a whole, perhaps, but they were no more and no less than the best of friends. Their magic would never outweigh their humanity.

The history books did not define their lives. Harry was not always brave, but he was always selfless. Ron was always loyal, but only later did he find his own confidence. And while Hermione would always be clever, it was her passion that was her driving force.

Sometimes the extraordinary gives way to the ordinary, but neither one is more significant than the other. Both are pieces of lives well lived. And while the Golden Trio will be remembered as heroes, to those who matter, they will always be, simply, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.


End file.
